The announcement confirms Aquilani as one of the worst transfers in recent times. Liverpool paid around £20m for the Italian midfielder last summer, viewing him as a direct replacement for Xabi Alonso who moved on to Real Madrid.

But injury and poor form wrecked his time at Anfield, and with just nine league starts under his belt, he has been moved on.

But where does Aquilani rate among the worst ever transfers? We take a look at the Premier League's biggest wastes of money.